Henry's Avalanche Talks is touring the country with its Off Piste & Avalanche Awareness presentations around the country, and to launch it we're offering you the chance to win a bag of kit from Ortovox, and the opportunity to learn how to use it (and how to avoid having to use it...)

To kick off this season with the right kit to help keep you alive, Ortovox UK are giving one Natives prizewinner over £280 worth of safety gear - just scroll down for the chance to win. THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED BUT YOU CAN STILL BOOK TICKETS FOR THE TOUR HERE.

Henry’s Avalanche Talks are also throwing in a pair of tickets to one of its Off Piste & Avalanche Awareness presentations in London, Bristol or Poole this November.

Sponsored by back country brands, Arc'teryx and The Perfect Run, the inaugural Off Piste & Avalanche Awareness UK Tour, takes place in London, Bristol, Poole and Port Solent throughout November 2008.
The tour consists of high-octane talks jam-packed with upfront advice for managing off-piste risk, technical explanations of snow-pack and avalanche triggers, along with heart-stopping photography and video footage of what can happen.

Presented by Henry’s Avalanche Talk and The Ski Club of Great Britain the aim is to enable more (free)riders to maximise their off-piste enjoyment while taking responsibility for understanding and minimizing the risks to themselves and others.

For more info and to book places for the pre-season avalanche safety talks or beeper-training, click here.

Off Piste & Avalanche Awareness UK Tour 08/09 - Talk dates:
Ride Snow Poole
Le Bateau Bar & Bistro, Poole
Sunday 2nd November 2008: 6pm-8.30pm
Monday 3rd November 2008: 6pm-8pm

Snow and Rock
Port Solent: Thurs 6th Nov 2008: 7pm
Kensington: Tues 11th Nov 2008: 7pm
Bristol: Wed 12th Nov 2008: 7pm

GJ’s, London:
Sun 16th Nov 2008: 2pm and 4pm
Tues 18th Nov 2008: 6pm-8.30pm

To enter the competition, answer these three questions (truthfully!), then fill in your name, age, email and mobile number.

Question 1: It’s a low-risk avalanche day and you’ve spotted a cornice drop-off onto a wind-loaded slope. Do you…
a) Go for it and get all your mates along too… sweet drop into fresh powder? Irresistible! Pow comes first!!
b) Wind-loaded snow has a high risk of sliding, even on “low-risk” days and ask the local pisteurs about the probability and regularity of snow-slide in that exact area, and take their advice – even if that means avoiding it?
c) Stick to the snow-park? The black kicker won’t slide!

Question 2: You’re in a group of riders on a bluebird day and about to drop in to a glorious bowl of virgin powder, with a few rocky outcrops. Do you…
a) Turn on the head-cam, all pile on in and race each other through the freshies, whooping for joy?
b) Check all your transceivers are on and in transmit mode, ride the pow one at a time, regrouping close beneath one of the rocks (potential shelter from slides) until all the riders are down?
c) Head back to the piste and leave the others to the fresh stuff?

Question 3: It’s a couple days after a heavy snowfall. You’re heading out to your favourite couloir with a couple of trusted riding buddies, beepers switched on. Then a cute chick/guy you kinda like asks to come along although she/he hasn’t got a transceiver, shovel or probe. Do you…
a) Just say “Yeah, no worries, I’m sure it’ll be all good.” (It’s not everyday you’re sharing fresh tracks with the lass/lad of your dreams)?
b) Take her/his number and offer to meet up after and promise you’ll take her/him out next time when they’ve got avalanche gear?
c) Ditch your mates and suggest to cute chick/guy that the half-pipe is generally a better option.

If you answered mostly A’s: You may be passionate about the pow, but you are consistently risking your own life and the lives of others. It’d be cooler to wise up with some avalanche safety training, and start taking responsibility as a rider!

If you answered mostly B’s: You seem to be aware of the risks and correct procedures to get the most out of free-riding while staying safe. Keep up-to-speed and refresh your brain with avalanche safety talks and beeper-practice.

If you answered mostly C’s: Well it sounds like you’re not too fussed about missing out on the fresh stuff, which is not a problem. Just make sure that even if you end up riding once in a while off-piste, you understand how to make the best judgements and use your equipment. Avalanche safety advice is for everyone who ever strays off the pisted runs, even infrequently.

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